Anchoring cables to rack with self-locking cable clamp arrangements

ABSTRACT

A self-locking cable clamp arrangement includes a bracket and a flexible tab disposed on the bracket. The bracket has a cable mounting region, a first engagement region, and a support region disposed therebetween. A cable can be clamped to the cable mounting region. The support region defining two members spaced apart sufficient to enable an edge of the panel to extend partially therebetween. The flexible tab can be selectively coupled to the cable mounting region and to the first engagement region. The clamp arrangement mounts to the panel by sliding the bracket downwardly through an open-ended slot defined in the panel until the tab is received within a cutout portion of the panel to secure the bracket to the panel.

CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application is a continuation of U.S. application Ser. No.14/199,410, filed Mar. 6, 2014, which claims the benefit of U.S.Provisional Application Ser. No. 61/779,659, filed Mar. 13, 2013, whichapplications are incorporated herein by reference in their entirety.

BACKGROUND

In the telecommunications industry, the demand for added capacity isgrowing rapidly. This demand is being met in part by the increasing useand density of fiber optic transmission equipment. Even though fiberoptic equipment permits higher levels of transmission in the same orsmaller footprint than traditional copper transmission equipment, thedemand requires even higher levels of fiber density. This has led to thedevelopment of high-density fiber handling equipment.

An example of this type of equipment is found in U.S. Pat. No. 6,591,051(the '051 patent) assigned to ADC Telecommunications, Inc. This patentconcerns a high-density fiber distribution frame and high-density fibertermination blocks (FTBs) which are mounted to the frame. Because of thelarge number of optical fibers passing into and out of the FTBs, theframe and blocks have a variety of structures to organize and manage thefibers. Some structures are used to aid the fibers entering the back ofthe frame and FTBs. Other structures are provided for managing thecables leaving the FTBs on the front. The FTBs also include structuresfor facilitating access to the densely packed terminations. One suchstructure is a slidable adapter module that is incorporated into theFTBs to allow selective access to the densely packed terminations insidethe FTBs.

Further development in such fiber termination systems is desired.

SUMMARY

Some aspects of the disclosure are directed to a device and a method forsecuring a cable to a panel including assembling a self-locking cableclamp arrangement; and mounting the self-locking cable clamp arrangementto the panel.

Another aspect of the disclosure is directed to a self-locking cableclamp arrangement for mounting a cable to a panel. The self-lockingcable clamp arrangement includes a bracket, a back plate, a grommet, ayoke, and a fastener. The bracket has a bracket body defining a firstengagement region, a second engagement region, and a third engagementregion where the first engagement region is spaced from the secondengagement region by the third engagement region. The engagement regionseach define at least two fastener openings. The self-locking cable clamparrangement further includes a tab having a flange member. The flangemember can be configured to attach to the first engagement region or thesecond engagement region of the bracket. The self-locking cable clamparrangement also includes a fixing member having a main body and atleast two posts. The at least two posts extend outwardly from the mainbody. The posts engage the at least two fastener openings defined by thethird engagement region to attach the fixing member to the thirdengagement region of the bracket. The posts provide a space between themain body of the fixing member and the bracket when the fixing member isattached to the third engagement region of the bracket. The back platedefines a fastener opening. The grommet is sized and configured toextend around a portion of the cable to form a grommeted cable. The yokeis configured to surround the grommet to mount the grommeted cable tothe panel. A first side of the yoke is configured to engage the firstengagement region of the bracket so that the grommeted cable extendsalong the first direction. A second side of the yoke is configured toengage the back plate. The fastener is configured to extend through thefastener opening of the bracket, through the yoke, and through thefastener opening of the backing plate to hold the back plate to thebracket. The fastener is configured to move the back plate and thebracket towards each other to compress the yoke and grommettherebetween.

Other aspects of the disclosure are directed to a cable anchor systemincluding a panel, a fastener, and a self-locking cable clamparrangement. The panel includes a first mounting section at which afirst mounting location is disposed. The first mounting location definesa cutout portion and an elongated slot. The self-locking cable clamparrangement includes a bracket, the bracket including an engagementsection having a tab sized and configured to be received within thecutout portion at the first mounting location. The self-lockingarrangement also includes another engagement section having a fixingmember attached thereon and sized to slide within the elongated slot atthe first mounting location. The tab further includes a lip that issufficient to hold the bracket to the panel when the lip is engagedwithin the cutout portion located at the first mounting location. Theself-locking cable clamp arrangement further includes a bracket, agrommet, and a back plate. The grommet is configured to be transverselycompressed between the bracket and the back plate.

The self-locking cable clamp arrangement includes first mounting a clampto the cable, and then mounting the clamp to a panel.

Assembling a self-locking cable clamp arrangement includes disposing agrommet around an exterior surface of the cable, disposing a yoke aroundthe grommet so that the yoke at least partially surrounds the grommet,and compressing the yoke and grommet between a bracket and a backingplate using a fastener so that the cable is compressed radiallyinwardly.

Mounting the self-locking cable clamp arrangement to the panel includessliding the bracket onto the panel until a tab portion of the bracketbeing configured to flex is received within a cutout portion of thepanel to secure the bracket to the panel.

The panel may include two sides which are staggered relative to oneanother. The panel may include staggered bracket mounting locations foradjacent self-locking cable clamp arrangements.

In some implementations, the brackets are slid so that posts extendingbetween a fixing member and an engagement region of the bracket moveinto elongated slots defined in the panel until the tab portion engagesthe cutout portion. In certain implementations, the tab portion ismanually pushed into the cutout portion, wherein the tab portion flexesupon entry into the cutout portion and snaps back once inside the cutoutportion to lock the bracket to the panel.

A variety of additional inventive aspects will be set forth in thedescription that follows. The inventive aspects can relate to individualfeatures and to combinations of features. It is to be understood thatboth the foregoing general description and the following detaileddescription are exemplary and explanatory only and are not restrictiveof the broad inventive concepts upon which the embodiments disclosedherein are based.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The accompanying drawings, which are incorporated in and constitute apart of the description, illustrate several aspects of the presentdisclosure. A brief description of the drawings is as follows:

FIG. 1 is a partial perspective view of an example rack including acable anchor region;

FIG. 2 is a partial perspective view of the cable anchor region of therack of FIG. 1 with the mounting panel shown exploded upwardly from therack;

FIG. 3 is a perspective view of cables secured to the mounting panel ofFIG. 2 using self-locking cable clamp arrangements;

FIG. 4 is a front side elevational view of the mounting panel of FIG. 2;

FIG. 5 is a perspective view of the mounting panel of FIG. 2;

FIG. 6 is a perspective view of the mounting panel of FIG. 2 withself-locking cable clamp arrangements mounted thereon;

FIG. 7 is a perspective view of a fixing member in accordance with theprinciples of the present disclosure;

FIG. 8 is a top view of the fixing member of FIG. 7;

FIG. 9 is a front view of the fixing member of FIG. 7;

FIG. 10 is a side view of the fixing member of FIG. 7;

FIG. 11 is a perspective view of an example bracket in accordance withthe principles of the present disclosure;

FIG. 12 is a top view of the example bracket of FIG. 11;

FIG. 13 is a front view of the example bracket of FIG. 11;

FIG. 14 is an edge view of the example bracket of FIG. 11;

FIG. 15 is a perspective first side view of the example bracket of FIG.11 with a spring tab and the fixing member of FIG. 7 attached inaccordance with the principles of the present disclosure;

FIG. 16 is a perspective second side view of the example bracket of FIG.15 shown in a “B” configuration in accordance with the principles of thepresent disclosure;

FIG. 16A is a perspective view of the example bracket of FIG. 16 shownin an “A” configuration in accordance with the principles of the presentdisclosure;

FIG. 17 is a front view of the example bracket of FIG. 15;

FIG. 18 is a front view of the example bracket of FIG. 16;

FIG. 19 is a side view of the example bracket of FIG. 16;

FIG. 20 is a top view of the example bracket of FIG. 16;

FIG. 21 is a perspective first side view of an example spring tabsuitable for use with the bracket of FIG. 15;

FIG. 22 is a perspective second side view of the example spring tab ofFIG. 21;

FIG. 23 is a perspective top view of the example spring tab of FIG. 22;

FIG. 24 is a front view of the example spring tab of FIG. 22;

FIG. 25 is an edge view of the example spring tab of FIG. 22;

FIG. 26 is an exploded view of an example cable clamp arrangement inaccordance with the principles of the present disclosure;

FIG. 27 is a perspective view of the cable clamp arrangement of FIG. 26secured to a cable; and

FIG. 28 is an enlarged view of a section of FIG. 3.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

Reference will now be made in detail to exemplary aspects of the presentdisclosure that are illustrated in the accompanying drawings. Whereverpossible, the same reference numbers will be used throughout thedrawings to refer to the same or like parts.

FIG. 1 illustrates an example rack 100 at which optical fibers can beconnected. The rack 100 has a front 102, a rear 104, a first side 106, asecond side 108, a top 110, and a bottom 112. The rack 100 defines oneor more termination regions 114. In certain implementations, the rack100 includes a vertical stack of termination regions 114. Connectionlocations at the termination regions 114 are accessible from both thefront 102 and rear 104 of the rack 100. A trough system 116 connectseach termination region 114 of the rack 100 with other terminationregions 114 of the rack 100 or with termination regions 114 of otherracks 100.

In some implementations, termination modules are mounted at thetermination regions 114. In various implementations, the terminationmodules can define individually mounted optical adapters, blocks ofintegrally formed optical adapters, and/or cassettes that includeoptical adapters having either a multi-fiber connector or a multi-fibercable extending outwardly therefrom. In certain implementations,termination modules are slidable relative to the rack 100. Exampleslidable termination modules can be found in U.S. ProvisionalApplication No. 61/704,330, filed Sep. 21, 2012, and titled “SlidableFiber Optic Connection Module with Cable Slack Management,” thedisclosure of which is hereby incorporated herein by reference.

The rack 100 includes an anchor region 118 at which one or more opticalcables 120 (see FIG. 3, e.g., multi-fiber cables, such as IFC cables)can be secured to the rack 100. In some implementations, the anchorregion 118 is located at the rear 104 of the rack 100. In certainimplementations, the anchor region 118 is located at the bottom 112 ofthe rack 100. In other implementations, the anchor region 118 is locatedat the top 110 of the rack 100. In the example shown, the anchor region118 is located at the first side 106 of the rack 100 at the bottom 112.The optical cables 120 may be secured to the rack 100 at the anchorregion 118. Optical fibers (e.g., loose, buffered, ribbonized,upjacketed, etc.) can extend from the anchor region 118 to equipment onthe rack 100 (e.g., the termination modules, splice cassettes, etc.).

In accordance with some aspects of the disclosure, each cable 120 can besecured to the anchor region 118 by first securing the cable 120 to aself-locking cable clamp arrangement (e.g., clamp arrangement 208 ofFIG. 26) and then securing the self-locking cable clamp arrangement tothe anchor region 118. The cable 120 can be secured to the self-lockingcable clamp arrangement at a location remote from the anchor region 118.In fact, the cable 120 can be secured to the self-locking cable clamparrangement at a location remote from the rack 100 (e.g., at a workstation). Accordingly, the self-locking cable clamp arrangement can beassembled and secured to the cable 120 while a user has easy access tothe cable 120 and clamp components as will be discussed in more detailherein.

FIGS. 2-6 illustrate a mounting panel 122 adapted for use at the anchorregion 118. FIG. 3 shows the optical cables 120 secured to the mountingpanel 122 (e.g., using the clamp arrangements 208 of FIG. 26). In someimplementations, the mounting panel 122 couples to a bottom 112 of therack 100 and extends downwardly from the rack 100. In the example shownin FIG. 2, the mounting panel 122 hangs from the bottom 112 of the rack100. For example, the anchor region 118 includes a bottom panel 124 anda side panel 126 that cooperate to define an aperture 128. The mountingpanel 122 is coupled to the bottom panel 124 to hang beneath theaperture 128.

As shown in FIGS. 3-6, the mounting panel 122 includes a body 130 havinga first side 132 and a second side 134. The body 130 defines a firstmounting section 136 and a second mounting section 138. A transitionregion 140 (see FIGS. 3 and 6) separates the first and second mountingsections 136, 138. The transition region 140 may include a straightsection defining a plurality of openings 142 so that the first andsecond mounting sections 136, 138 are parallel, but offset from eachother. In the example shown, the first mounting section 136 is offsettowards the first side 132 and the second mounting section 138 is offsettowards the second side 134.

Arms 144 extend upwardly from opposite sides of the panel body 130.Mounting flanges 146 are provided at distal ends of the arms 144. Themounting flanges 146 are configured to secure to the bottom panel 124 ofthe anchor region 118 of the rack 100. In the example shown in FIG. 2,the bottom panel 124 includes one or more pems 148 that are sized toextend through one or more openings defined in the mounting flanges 146.Washers 150 and nuts 152 secure over the pems 148 to hold the mountingflanges 146 to the bottom panel 124. In other implementations, separatefasteners can be utilized to secure the mounting flanges 146 to thebottom panel 124. In still other implementations, the mounting flanges146 can snap-fit, latch, or otherwise secure to the bottom panel 124. Instill other implementations, the mounting flanges 146 can secure to theside panel 126.

The cables 120 can be mounted to the mounting sections 136, 138 (seeFIGS. 3-6) without the use of tools, thereby reducing installation timeand ergonomic strain on the operator accessing the equipment. Forexample, the cables 120 can be mounted to the mounting sections 136, 138using self-locking cable clamp arrangements 208. Each cable clamparrangement 208 includes a cable clamp (see FIGS. 26 and 27) coupled toa bracket 160 (FIGS. 15-20). The cable clamp holds the cable 120 to thebracket 160 and the bracket 160 holds the cable 120 to the mountingsections 136, 138.

The brackets 160 can be mounted to the mounting sections 136, 138 (seeFIGS. 3-6) without the use of tools, thereby reducing installation timeand ergonomic strain on the operator accessing the equipment. Eachbracket 160 includes a first engagement region 174, a second engagementregion 176, and a third engagement region 178 (see FIGS. 11-20). Aspring tab 162 may be attached to the first engagement region 174 (seeFIGS. 16 and 19) or to the second engagement region 176 (see FIG. 16A).A fixing member 164 may be attached to the third engagement region 178(see FIGS. 16 and 19).

Each of the mounting sections 136, 138 of the mounting panel 122 definesone or more mounting locations 154. Each mounting location 154 includesa cutout portion 156 and an elongated slot 158. Each mounting location154 is designed to receive a bracket 160. The cutout portions 156 extendgenerally in a horizontal direction in the body 130 of the mountingpanel 122. The cutout portions 156 are generally perpendicular to theelongated slot 158. Each of the cutout portions 156 is sized to receivea portion of a spring tab 162 (see FIGS. 3 and 6) and each elongatedslot 158 is designed to receive a portion of a fixing member 164 of abracket 160. The spring tabs 162 are configured to releasably engage thecutout portions 156. As shown, the cutout portions 156 are T-shaped. Inother embodiments, the cutout portions 156 may vary in shape, such as,but not limited to, circles, ovals, squares, triangles, and the like.The spring tabs 162 are illustrated and described in more detail withreference to FIGS. 21-25.

Referring to FIGS. 7-10, the fixing members 164 of the brackets 160 eachinclude a base 166 and two posts 168 extending from the base 166. It isto be understood that the number of posts 168 on the base 166 of thefixing members 164 may vary with other embodiments. In someimplementations, the fixing members 164 include at least two posts 168to help eliminate shifting, rotating, or other movement of the fixingmembers 164. As shown, the posts 168 are spaced about an inch apart. Itis to be understood that the distance between the posts 168 may varywith other embodiments. The two posts 168 may define fastener openings170 to receive a mechanical fastener 172 for attaching the fixing member164 to the bracket 160. The mechanical fasteners 172 may be a snap-inconfiguration or any mechanical mechanism such as a threaded fastener, athumb screw, a hex screw, a captive fastener, a pin, a bolt, a dowel, arivet, a latch, a wire tie, and the like. In other embodiments, thefixing members 164 may be attached to the brackets 160 by press fit orby welding. The brackets 160 are illustrated and described in moredetail with reference to FIGS. 11-20.

The at least two posts 168 of the fixing members 164 are positioned inthe elongated slots 158 to slidably mount the brackets 160 to themounting sections 136, 138. In the example shown in FIGS. 3-6, eachmounting location 154 is designed such that the cutout portions 156 arelocated above the elongated slots 158 in each of the mounting sections136,138. Although the cutout portions 156 and thereby the spring tabs162 are configured above the elongated slots 158, the brackets 160 canbe arranged on the mounting sections 136, 138 of the mounting panel 122in either an “A” configuration (see FIG. 16A) or a “B” configuration(see FIG. 16). The “A” configuration is when the spring tabs 162 areattached to the second engagement region 176 of the brackets 160. The“B” configuration is when the spring tabs 162 are attached to the firstengagement region 174 of the brackets 160. As shown in FIGS. 3-6, the“A” and “B” configurations of the brackets 160 can be arranged toalternate on the mounting sections 136, 138 so that an “ABAB”configuration can be achieved. This arrangement may make it easier toattach the optical cables 120 to the body 130 of the mounting panel 122without obstruction or overcrowding.

In some implementations, each mounting section 136, 138 defines a row ofmounting locations 154. In the example shown in FIGS. 3-6, the cutoutportions 156 and the elongated slots 158 are aligned along in a row. Inthis example, the brackets 160 are arranged to alternate in an “A” and“B” configuration and thereby provide an offset configuration formounting cables on the mounting panel 122.

In this example, the first mounting section 136 includes mountinglocations 154 at a top of the first mounting section 136. The mountinglocations 154 have cutout portions 156 and elongated slots 158 that arespaced an equal distance apart. Accordingly, the mounting locations 154are each configured to receive the various diameter cables without anylimitation.

The second mounting section 138 includes mounting locations 154 at a topof the second mounting section 138. The mounting locations 154 havecutout portions 156 and elongated slots 158 that are spaced an equaldistance apart. Accordingly, similar to the first mounting section 136,the mounting locations 154 are each configured to receive variousdiameter cables without any limitation. In certain implementations, themounting locations 154 of the second mounting section 138 are offsetfrom the mounting locations 154 of the first mounting section 136. Inother configurations, the mounting locations 154 of the second mountingsection 138 may be aligned with the mounting locations 154 of the firstmounting section 136.

Referring to FIGS. 11-20, the brackets 160 each include a firstengagement region 174, a second engagement region 176, and a thirdengagement region 178. The first engagement region 174 defines one ormore apertures 180 wherein the spring tabs 162 may be attached. Thesecond engagement region 176 defines one or more apertures 184 whereinat least two of the apertures may be used to attach the spring tabs 162.The third engagement region 178 defines one or more apertures 182wherein the fixing members 164 may be attached. For example, FIGS. 15-20show the brackets 160 with the fixing members 164 and spring tabs 162attached. The two posts 168 of the fixing members 164 align with theapertures 182 of the brackets 160 to be attached thereon such that theposts 168 extend between the third engagement region 178 of the brackets160 and the base 166 of the fixing members 164. The posts 168 of thefixing members 164 may vary in length and diameter to be sized toaccommodate various mounting location configurations on mounting panels.Attachments to the first, second, and third engagement regions 174, 176,178, may be completed by using a mechanical fastener such as, but notlimited to, a threaded fastener, a thumb screw, a hex screw, a captivefastener, a pin, a bolt, a dowel, a rivet, a latch, a wire tie, and thelike. In other embodiments, attachments to the first, second, and thirdengagement regions 174, 176, 178, may be completed by a snap-inconfiguration, press fit, or welding. The brackets 160 each have twotransition regions 186 (see FIGS. 14 and 19) that are curved orcontoured so that the third engagement region 178 is parallel to andoffset from the first and second engagement regions 174, 176. Forexample, the transition regions 186 may be contoured to accommodate thetwo posts 168 of the fixing members 164 in order to mount the brackets160 to the mounting panel 122.

Referring to FIGS. 21-25, the spring tabs 162 include a body 188, a lip190, shoulders 192, and a flange member 194. The lip 190 can have afirst contoured section 196 that extends from the body 188 so that thelip 190 projects outwardly towards the flange member 194. The shoulders192 (see FIGS. 22 and 24) are formed on opposite sides of the body 188and each have a tapered lead-in portion 198 such that the body 188 iswider towards the lip 190 and narrows towards the flange member 194. Asecond contoured section 200 (see FIG. 25) is located between theshoulders 192 and the flange member 194. In this example, the body 188,the lip 190, the shoulders 192, and the flange member 194 are integratedtogether to form a unitary tab. The spring tabs 162 may be made of ametal (e.g., steel or other material) with elastic characteristics or aplastic material that allow the spring tabs 162 to be flexible aboutflex points 202, 204 (see FIG. 22). The flange member 194 definesopenings 206 for receiving mechanical fasteners 172 (see FIG. 19) suchas, but not limited to, a threaded fastener, a thumb screw, a hex screw,a captive fastener, a pin, a bolt, a dowel, a rivet, a latch, a wiretie, and the like. In other embodiments, the fastening mechanism may bea snap-in configuration, press fit, or welding. The mechanical fasteners172 engage openings 180,184 of the brackets 160 to attach the flangemembers 194 to the brackets 160.

Turning again to FIGS. 6 and 15-16, the flange member 194 of the springtabs 162 may be attached to the brackets 160 at the first and secondengagement regions 174, 176. In other words, the spring tabs 162 can bemoved so that they attach to either the first engagement region 174 orthe second engagement region 176 of the brackets 160. FIG. 19 shows themechanical fasteners 172 being used to attach the spring tabs 162 to thefirst engagement regions 174. Similarly, the mechanical fasteners 172can be used to attach the spring tabs 162 to the second engagementregions 176. Although the spring tabs 162 may move to be attached toeither the first or second engagement regions 174, 176 of the brackets160, the spring tabs 162 are shown in this example to be arranged alongthe top of the body 130 of the mounting panel 122. The brackets 160 maybe arranged on the mounting panel 122 such that either the first or thesecond engagement regions 174, 176 are aligned at the top of the body130. For example, in the “A” configuration (see FIG. 16A), the flangemember 194 of the spring tab 162 is attached to the second engagementregion 176 of the bracket 160 so that the second engagement region 176is above the first engagement region 174 when the bracket 160 is mountedto the mounting panel 122. Whereas, in the “B” configuration (see FIG.16), the flange member 194 of the spring tabs 162 is attached to thefirst engagement region 174 of the bracket 160 so that the firstengagement region 174 is positioned above the second engagement region176 when mounted to the mounting panel 122. The brackets 160 can bemounted to the mounting panel 122 in this alternating “A” and “B”configuration.

In general, a cable 120 can be secured to the mounting panel 122 using aself-locking cable clamp arrangement. In accordance with some aspects ofthe disclosure, the self-locking cable clamp arrangement is configuredto mount first to the cable 120 and second to the mounting panel 122.Accordingly, the self-locking cable clamp arrangement can be assembledand secured to the cable 120 while a user has easy access to the cableand clamp components. The self-locking cable clamp arrangement isconfigured to facilitate installation of the self-locking cable clamparrangement on the mounting panel 122. For example, the self-lockingcable clamp arrangement can be configured to reduce the amount of stepsin a mounting process for securing the self-locking cable clamparrangement to the mounting panel 122. The self-locking cable clamparrangement can be configured to reduce the number of loose componentswhen positioning the self-locking cable clamp arrangement at themounting panel 122, which may be located in an awkward place at a bottomor top of the rack 100.

FIGS. 26-29 illustrate one example self-locking cable clamp arrangement208 suitable for use with a cable 120 and the mounting panel 122. Theself-locking cable clamp arrangement 208 includes a cable clamp and abracket 160. The cable clamp includes a grommet 210, a yoke 212, a backplate 214, and fasteners 216. The fasteners 216 extend through two ormore of the components to enable radial compression of the grommet 210around the cable 120 as will be described in more detail herein. Thebracket 160 is configured to facilitate installation of the self-lockingcable clamp arrangement 208 to the mounting panel 122 as will bedisclosed in more detail herein. FIGS. 15-20 illustrate one examplebracket 160 previously described suitable for use with the self-lockingcable clamp arrangement 208.

As shown in FIG. 26, the grommet 210 is configured to fit around anexterior surface of the cable 120. In some implementations, the grommet210 includes a ring-shaped body 218 defining a passage 220 therethrough.The body 218 also defines a slit 222 leading from an exterior surface ofthe body 218 to the passage 220. The body 218 of the grommet 210 issufficiently flexible to enable the cable 120 to enter the passage 220through the slit 222. The cable 120 extends generally in a firstdirection when extending through the passage 220. In certainimplementations, the body 218 includes a ledge 224 extending radiallyoutwardly from the body 218 to define an abutment surface 226.

The yoke 212 is configured to surround the grommet 210. In certainimplementations, the yoke 212 fully surrounds the grommet 210. In otherimplementations, the yoke parts 228, 230 are spaced apart when mountedaround the grommet 210. In some implementations, the grommet 210 and theyoke 212 can be secured to each other to inhibit movement in at leastone axial direction. In certain implementations, the grommet ledge 224seats on the yoke 212 so that the abutment surface 226 engages a top ofthe yoke 212. In other implementations, the grommet 210 can define topand bottom ledges that sandwich the yoke 212 in between. In still otherimplementations, the grommet 210 is not axially secured to the yoke 212.

In some implementations, the yoke 212 includes a first part 228 and asecond part 230 that is separate from the first part 228. Each of theparts 228, 230 defines a recessed section 232, 234, respectively, thatis shaped to receive a portion of the grommet 210. Each of the yokeparts 228, 230 also defines through holes 236, 238 that align when thefirst and second parts 228, 230, respectively, are positioned around thegrommet 210. In other implementations, the first and second parts 228,230 of the yoke 212 can be pivotally or otherwise movably connected toeach other so that the yoke 212 can be wrapped or otherwise disposedaround the grommet 210.

The back plate 214 is configured to engage a first exterior surface 240of the yoke 212. The back plate 214 includes a plate body 242 definingone or more apertures 244. The apertures 244 of the back plate 214 alignwith the holes 236, 238 of the yoke 212. The bracket 160 is configuredto engage a second exterior surface 246 of the yoke 212. The bracket 160defines one or more apertures 184 that align with the apertures 244 ofthe back plate 214 and the holes 236, 238 of the yoke 212.

The self-locking cable clamp arrangement 208 is assembled by insertingthe cable 120 into the grommet 210, assembling the yoke 212, back plate214, and bracket 160 around the grommet 210, and inserting the fasteners216 to extend through the bracket 160, yoke 212, and back plate 214. Thefasteners 216 include elongated bodies 248 extending between heads 250and free ends. The heads 250 engage the bracket 160 and the free endsextend through the back plate 214. In certain implementations, thefasteners 216 thread to the back plate 214. In other implementations,nuts are threaded over ends of the fasteners 216 protruding through theback plate 214. As noted above, the self-locking cable clamp arrangement208 can be assembled at a location remote from the anchor region 118 ofthe rack 100. For example, the self-locking cable clamp arrangement 208can be assembled at a location that provides the user with easy accessto the cable clamp arrangement 208 and the cable 120. After assemblingthe cable 120 to the cable clamp arrangement 208, the assembledarrangement can be mounted to the anchor region 118 of the rack 100.

FIGS. 28-29 illustrate one example self-locking cable clamp arrangement208 assembled around a cable 120 and secured to the mounting panel 122at one of the mounting locations 154. To mount the assembledself-locking cable clamp arrangement 208, the brackets 160 of theself-locking cable clamp arrangements 208 are inserted into the mountinglocations 154 of the mounting panel 122 by aligning the brackets 160along axis A₁ (see FIG. 6). The brackets 160 may be pushed manually byhand in direction D (see FIG. 6) for insertion into the mountinglocations 154 of the first and second mounting sections 136, 138. Duringinsertion, the posts 168 of the fixing members 164 enter at the mountinglocations 154 through a gap 167 at the top of the body 130 of themounting panel 122. The gap 167 is spaced so that the posts 168 can bereceived through the gap 167 and move past the gap 167 into the cutoutportion 156. The posts 168 continue to move in the direction D until theposts 168 engage and are received within the elongated slots 158 locatedon the first and/or second mounting sections 136, 138. The posts 168 canbe sized so that the base 166 of the fixing member 164 can be parallelto and mating with the body 130 of the mounting panel 122 while thethird engagement region 178 can be parallel to and mating with theopposite side of the body 130 of the mounting panel 122. The elongatedslots 158 are sized so that the posts 168 can rest snuggly within theelongated slots 158 without shifting or turning. The brackets 160 can beinserted in the direction D until the spring tabs 162 compress enough toallow the bodies 188 to flex about flex points 204 so that the bodies188 can engage and be received within the cutout portions 156. Duringinsertion, the lips 190 of the spring tabs 162 can flex about flexpoints 202 to help retain the brackets 160 within the mounting locations154 of the first and second mounting sections 136, 138 of the mountingpanel 122.

The brackets 160 can be mounted at the mounting locations 154 on themounting panel 122 without the use of tools, which may help to reducethe installation and/or removal time of the brackets 160 and limitergonomic strain. For example, the anchor region 118 can be locatedsufficiently high on the rack 100 to cause a user to reach over theuser's head or sufficiently low on the rack 100 to cause a user to squator kneel to reach the mounting panel 122. By enabling mounting of thebrackets 160 without the use of tools, a user is not forced tomanipulate tools at such low visibility and/or difficult-to-reachlocations. While the brackets 160 are manually inserted by hand, theposts 168 are positioned within the elongated slots 158 until the bodies188 and lips 190 of the spring tabs 162 can releasably engage the cutoutportions 156 at the mounting locations 154. The lips 190 of the springtabs 162 help to keep the brackets 160 on the first and second mountingsections 136, 138 by preventing the brackets 160 from sliding out of themounting locations 154.

In some implementations, the self-locking cable clamp arrangements 208also can be easily removed from the first and second mounting sections136, 138 manually without the use of tools. For example, the bracket 160of a self-locking cable clamp arrangement 208 can be removed from arespective one of the mounting locations 154 without the use of tools.For example, a bracket 160 may be removed from the panel 122 by manuallyflexing the spring tab 162 of the bracket 160 about points 202, 204 andsliding the bracket 160 in direction E (see FIG. 6) until the posts 168of the bracket 160 clear the elongated slots 158. In otherimplementations, the spring tab 162 can be flexed using a tool (e.g.,such as a flat-head screwdriver).

In accordance with some aspects, the self-locking cable clamparrangements 208 can be removed from the mounting panel 122 even when itis populated with other self-locking cable clamp arrangements 208. Insome implementations, cables 120 can be clamped and anchored to bothsides 132, 134 of the panel 122. For example, in certainimplementations, the clamped cables 120 are mounted to the first side132 of the mounting panel 122 at the first mounting section 136 and aremounted to the second side 134 of the mounting panel 122 at the secondmounting section 138. Offsetting the mounting sections 136, 138 inhibitsinterference with the mounting of the self-locking cable clamparrangements 208 to opposite sides of the panel 122.

The panel 122 and self-locking cable clamp arrangements 208 mount thecables 120 to the rack 100 in rows R₁, R₂, R₃, R₄ (see FIGS. 3-6) on themounting panel 122. The self-locking cable clamp arrangements 208 can bemounted to the first and second mounting sections 136,138 of themounting panel 122 in rows R₁, R₂, R₃, R₄. The self-locking cable clamparrangements 208 can be mounted onto the first mounting section 136 andthe cables 120 can be mounted alternating between rows R₁, R₂. Theself-locking cable clamp arrangements 208 can be mounted on the secondmounting section 138 and the cables 120 can be mounted alternatingbetween rows R₃, R₄ (see FIGS. 3 and 28). The self-locking cable clamparrangements 208 are mounted only to the second engagement region 176 ofthe brackets 160. Because the brackets 160 can be mounted to themounting panel 122 in the alternating “A” and “B” configurations, theself-locking cable clamp arrangements 208 can be mounted so that theyalternate between rows as depicted in FIGS. 3 and 28. Rows R₁, R₂ relateto the first mounting section 136 of the mounting panel 122 and theself-locking cable clamp arrangements 208 can be located at the firstside 132 of the mounting panel 122. Rows R₃, R₄ relate to the secondmounting section 138 of the mounting panel 122 and the self-lockingcable clamp arrangements 208 can be located on the second side 134 ofthe mounting panel 122. The self-locking cable clamp arrangements 208mounted in each respective row on the first and second mounting sections136, 138 can be staggered relative to each other because theself-locking cable clamp arrangements 208 are only attached to thesecond engagement regions 176 of the brackets 160 (see FIGS. 3 and 28).

In some implementations, a guide (not shown) can be installed to therack 100 at the anchor region 118. For example, the guide can beinstalled at the aperture 128 defined at the anchor region 118. In someimplementations, the guide includes a body that extends upwardly fromthe bottom panel 124 to inhibit bending of the cables that otherwisemight result in an interference with an installed splice chassis orother equipment at the rack. In certain implementations, the guide bodyextends through the aperture 128. In certain implementations, the guidebody includes one or more tabs that seat on the bottom panel 124 of theanchor region 118 to hold the guide in position. In certainimplementations, the guide body includes a fastener tab. One or morefasteners (e.g., pems, screws, bolts, rivets, etc.) can extend throughthe fastener tab and into the bottom panel 124 and/or into one of themounting flanges 146 of the mounting panel 122.

The above specification, examples and data provide a completedescription of the manufacture and use of the composition of theinvention. Since many embodiments of the invention can be made withoutdeparting from the spirit and scope of the invention, the inventionresides in the claims hereinafter appended.

1-30. (canceled)
 31. A self-locking cable clamp arrangement for mountinga cable to a panel defining at least a first slot, the self-lockingcable clamp arrangement comprising: (a) a bracket extending along afirst axis from a first end to a second end, the bracket having a cablemounting region at the first end, a first engagement region at thesecond end, and a support region disposed between the cable mountingregion and the first engagement region, the cable mounting regiondefining at least two laterally aligned fastener apertures, the supportregion defining two members spaced apart sufficient to enable an edge ofthe panel to extend partially therebetween; and (b) a flexible tabdisposed on the bracket, the flexible tab being deflectable between afirst position and a second position, the flexible tab being biased tothe first position, wherein the flexible tab can be selectively coupledto the cable mounting region and to the first engagement region.
 32. Theself-locking cable clamp arrangement of claim 31, further comprising:(c) a backing plate defining two fastener openings; (d) a grommet sizedand configured to extend around a portion of the cable to form agrommeted cable; (e) a yoke configured to surround the grommet to mountthe grommeted cable to the bracket, the yoke having a first side and asecond side, the first side of the yoke being configured to engage thecable mounting region of the bracket so that the grommeted cable extendsalong the first axis, the second side of the yoke being configured toengage the backing plate; and (f) a plurality of fasteners configured toextend through the fastener openings of the cable mounting region,through the yoke, and through the fastener opening of the backing plateto hold the backing plate to the bracket, the fasteners being configuredto move the backing plate and the bracket towards each other to compressthe yoke and grommet therebetween.
 33. The self-locking cable clamparrangement of claim 31, wherein the bracket includes a transitionregion that laterally offsets the first engagement region from the cablemounting region.
 34. The self-locking cable clamp arrangement of claim31, wherein the flexible tab extends outwardly from the bracket when inthe first position and moves towards the bracket when deflected to thesecond position.
 35. The self-locking cable clamp arrangement of claim31, wherein the flexible tab includes a mounting flange configured toattach to the bracket and a deflection flange having a first end coupledto the mounting flange and a free distal end.
 36. The self-locking cableclamp arrangement of claim 31, wherein the distal end of the deflectionflange defines a lip extending towards the mounting flange.
 37. Theself-locking cable clamp arrangement of claim 31, wherein the twospaced-apart members of the support region are coupled together by apost extending therebetween, the post being sized to fit within thefirst slot defined by the panel.
 38. The self-locking cable clamparrangement of claim 37, wherein two posts extend between the twospaced-apart members, the two posts being spaced from each other alongthe first axis, each of the posts being sized to fit within the firstslot defined by the panel.
 39. The self-locking cable clamp arrangementof claim 31, wherein the flexible tab is disposed at the cable mountingregion.
 40. The self-locking cable clamp arrangement of claim 31,wherein the flexible tab is disposed at the first engagement region. 41.A cable anchor system comprising: a panel including a first mountingsection at which a plurality of mounting locations are disposed, eachmounting location defining an elongated slot and a cutout portiondefined at a location along the elongated slot; and a plurality ofself-locking cable clamp arrangements including: a bracket having acable mounting region at a first end, a first engagement region at anopposite second end, and a support region disposed between the cablemounting region and the first engagement region, the cable mountingregion defining at least one fastener aperture, the support regionconfigured to slide along the elongated slot to couple the bracket tothe panel; and a flexible tab coupled to the bracket, the flexible tabbeing structured to engage the cutout portion of a respective mountinglocation to hold the support region within the elongated slot; wherein afirst of the self-locking cable clamp arrangements has the respectiveflexible tab disposed at the respective cable mounting region, and asecond of the self-locking cable clamp arrangement has the respectiveflexible tab disposed at the respective first engagement region.
 42. Thecable anchor system of claim 41, wherein the first and secondself-locking cable clamp arrangements are disposed at adjacent mountinglocations at the first mounting section of the panel.
 43. The cableanchor system of claim 41, wherein the panel includes a second mountingsection that is offset from the first mounting section, the secondmounting section defining a plurality of mounting locations suitable forreceiving the self-locking cable clamp arrangements.
 44. The cableanchor system of claim 43, wherein the second mounting section islocated at an opposite side of the panel from the first mountingsection.
 45. The cable anchor system of claim 41, wherein the flexibletab of each self-locking cable clamp arrangement is configured todeflect during insertion at the respective mounting location.
 46. Amethod of securing a cable to a panel, the method comprising: providinga self-locking cable clamp arrangement including a bracket having acable mounting region; clamping a cable to the cable mounting region ofthe bracket of the self-locking cable clamp arrangement to form a cableclamp assembly; and mounting the cable clamp assembly to the panelincluding sliding the bracket downwardly through an open-ended slotdefined in the panel until a tab portion of the bracket is receivedwithin a cutout portion of the panel to secure the bracket to the panel.47. The method of claim 46, wherein the bracket is oriented so that thecable mounting region is disposed at the cutout region.
 48. The methodof claim 46, wherein the bracket is oriented so that the cable mountingregion is located at an opposite end of the slot from the cutout region.49. The method of claim 46, wherein the tab portion is deflected by thepanel as the bracket is slid through the open-ended slot; and whereinthe bracket is slid through the open-ended slot until the tab portionsnaps into the cutout portion
 50. The method of claim 46, furthercomprising removing the cable from the panel by: depressing the tabportion of the self-locking cable clamp arrangement; and sliding thebracket of the self-locking cable clamp arrangement out of theopen-ended slot.